European Property Rights and Wrongs - Diana Wallis MEP
European Property Rights and Wrongs - Diana Wallis MEP
European Property Rights and Wrongs - Diana Wallis MEP
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<strong>European</strong> <strong>Property</strong> <strong>Wrongs</strong><br />
– what can the EU do?<br />
The areas affected<br />
It is important to bear in mind that many EU citizens do successfully purchase<br />
property in other member states, including those outlined below, <strong>and</strong> peacefully<br />
enjoy their property without any problems. However, where problems are<br />
encountered there tends to be underlying local causes <strong>and</strong> trends, local to the<br />
region or wider state. The real challenges for the purchaser lie in being alert to<br />
<strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing the social, cultural, commercial <strong>and</strong> legal aspects behind the<br />
system of transactions <strong>and</strong> property rights in another country; a challenge especially<br />
great when all the dealings may be carried out in an unfamiliar language.<br />
It cannot be ignored, however, that some states have thrown up more problem<br />
cases than others. Perhaps in greater numbers because the country experienced<br />
a bubble of development, the pricing was advantageous to sterling buyers,<br />
the infrastructure geared up for tourism <strong>and</strong> the critical mass for taking action<br />
<strong>and</strong> bringing the problem to wider attention was present.<br />
Spain has thrown up some difficult issues, where in regions such as Valencia<br />
<strong>and</strong> Andalucia, planning law is devolved to the autonomous regional government.<br />
Valencia introduced a law, the Ley Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanistica<br />
(LRAU) in 1994 allowing for the expropriation of rural l<strong>and</strong> where the developer<br />
could obtain permission to have the l<strong>and</strong> re-classified as suitable for development.<br />
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